Opening a debate at the party's Bournemouth conference, the Lib Dem energy and climate change spokesman, Simon Hughes, told his party that "we cannot start too soon" in reducing emissions. The Guardian is backing the 10:10 campaign to reduce UK carbon emissions by 10% by next year.

The party backed an amendment promising that any council run or influenced by the Lib Dems would commit itself to the campaign's objectives, and party members would make "similar personal commitments".

Hughes told delegates: "The 10:10 campaign is about action now, not in 10 or 40 years' time. You, me, us, councils, government. I call on Liberal Democrats to support this campaign now and praise all those who have already signed up. We cannot start too soon."

The Lib Dems run 64 councils.

Pointedly adapting Nick Clegg's threat of "savage cuts" to public spending, Hughes, a critic of the leader, told delegates: "Conference, we must not axe our social fabric. But I'll own up. I too am in favour of controversial and, yes, savage cuts. Of emissions. By 10% in 2010."

Clegg, the party leader, personally signed up to the campaign earlier this month. Gordon Brown's cabinet and the entire Conservative frontbench have also added their support.

Backing the amendment, Chris Nicholson, a delegate from Streatham, said many councils had already signed up to the 10:10 campaign, and said it felt a lot more tangible than some of the "remote" targets for 2020, 2030 and beyond. "It is very immediate, it is a challenge to us all, it is very concrete and we can measure what is being achieved," he said.

Sian Reid, a Cambridge city councillor, said her local authority had already signed up, as had her local MP, David Howarth.

The council had put climate change at the "heart" of all its policies, including putting pressure on large planning applications to meet some of their energy requirements through renewable energy target.

Reid said it was important to "lead by example". "For three years now, we have embedded the carbon agenda in our process," she added.